Mamoiada's Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee: A Model for Small Museum Networks

The Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee in Mamoiada, Sardinia, exemplifies how small museums can drive local development through community engagement and digital innovation. Managed by Cooperativa Viseras, the museum is part of the MaMu system, which includes the Museo della Cultura e del Lavoro and MATer. It received 18,000 visitors in 2015 and has spurred tourism infrastructure: four B&Bs, a locanda, a restaurant, a trattoria, nine wineries, an artisan workshop, a tourism service company, and a bakery. The museum faces challenges with delayed regional funding but has created a network of local actors offering guided tours of artisan workshops, archaeological sites, and food experiences. It is a member of the Associazione Nazionale Piccoli Musei (APM) and the Distretto Culturale del Nuorese. A free app for iOS and Android is in development to enhance visitor engagement. The museum's collection compares Mediterranean carnival masks, highlighting shared traditions.